Conventionally, for example, a magnetic body domain is comprised on one surface side of a card main body formed of a resin material such as chloroethylene resin or PET (a polyethylene terephthalate) resin as a discernment card employed by ATM and credit settlement systems. Discernment cards which record identity information magnetically in the magnetic body domain according to an appointed standard are known. In addition, one example of such a discernment card is disclosed by Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-154778.
In such a conventional discernment card, there was a problem that the discernment card was easily damaged or bent. For example, resin materials used are subject to softening upon exposure to heat such that a resin card, when exposed to heat, is easily deformed or damaged.
Furthermore, in use of such a discernment card, ATM and credit settlement machines cannot accept or recognize a damaged discernment card, so that an owner of a damaged discernment card cannot be identified and a new discernment card must be re-issued, which is a very troublesome procedure.
Thus, a discernment card that is formed by means of a metal material has been tried. However, a metallic discernment card can be troublesome for an owner carrying the card because of the increased weight, for example in the event that an iron material is used. In addition, with an aluminum material, the weight of the card may be improved, however, weakness against bending and heat may not be improved.
Furthermore, in a conventional discernment card, identity information is recorded by means of magnetism, according to an appointed public standard, in a magnetic body domain of a magnetic strip on one surface side of the card main body. In a conventional ATM or credit settlement system, by reading the identity information of the card in a magnetic reader, and accessing a database of a host computer, confirmation of the owner of the card is possible.
Since a standard of the magnetic arrangement is published, identity information can be read by means of a commercial magnetic reader in addition to conventional ATM and credit settlement machines.
Against the intentions of an owner of a discernment card, identity information can thus be read by such a commercial magnetic reader, and the read identity information then copied to other discernment cards, in a criminal act referred to as so-called “skimming” or making an illegal copy. It becomes a social problem that the owner and the discernment card company are seriously damaged because of the illegal use of such an illegally copied discernment card by a person other than the owner. In addition, there is the problem that personal information can be leaked out by means of skimming since the personal information has been included in identity information of the conventional discernment card.
Furthermore, there exists a problem wherein identity information is lost in cases that a discernment card is exposed to a strong magnetic field such as, for example, a magnet or a television set because the information was magnetically recorded in the magnetic strip.
Further, in the U.S.A., the US Social Security Administration (SSA) issues a social security number to citizens and certain residents as personal identification information with regard to taxation, receipt of benefits, etc. In addition, a social security card having the social security number is issued to each person obtaining a number. The name of the card owner is mentioned on the social security card face side with characters of the alphabet, and the social security number is printed with numeral characters.
In receiving or applying for social security benefits at a social security agency as one example of a specific use of a social security number, a person, such as an applicant for benefits, shows the social security card to the agency personnel. The personal information of the person is obtained or confirmed using the social security number printed on the social security card and thus the person can be considered and/or accepted for the social security benefits requested. In addition, because a person's social security number remains unchanged for life, it is employed as an identification card for verifying the identity of the person.
Since the social security card not only contains the social security number but also the name of the card owner, this information is easy to memorize and thus a third party can steal the information and use it illegally, which occurs frequently. As a result, serious economic losses are incurred annually and this becomes a serious problem.    [Patent document 1] a Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-154778 Gazette